Being Helpful

Design

Focus on the Workflow
A Courteous Site
Design Attribute Checklist

Process

Project Scenario
The Interaction Design Role

Documentation

Guidelines for Success
Good Documentation
Being Helpful

Site Evaluation

Evaluation Checklist

Design: More to It than Meets the Eye

"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it's this veneer - that the designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. *Design is how it works.*" Steve Jobs, CEO Apple Computer, Inc.as quoted in"The Guts of a New Machine", NY Times Magazine, November 30, 2003
These three areas of design have a lot of influence on Customer and Client satisfaction: Workflow, a sense of Courtesy, and overall Design Attributes. They're particularly important if you want to make transactions work.
Focus on the WorkFlow
The transaction process should be visually obvious through the design of the interface:
	Goal	You should have some sense of the total task.
	Steps	You should know how many steps are involved.
	Status	You should know where you are in the process at any given moment.
	Mandatory	You should know what is required.
	Confirmation	You should know when you have completed a step.
	Position	You should end up at an appropriate spot.
	Correction	You should be able to undo your actions.

Define and reflect the Workflow appropriately.

A Courteous Site

I always try to provide The Three Cee's:

Context

Know where you are and what you're doing (i.e. you’re browsing documents or performing a function, such as document editing).

The introductory page should provide an explanatory overview of the operational elements and how they work.

Every major function (s.a. Create a New … or Edit) should have a set of directions.

When you enter or exit – and at appropriate points in the process – you should receive a synopsis of your activity.

Continuity

The service should “remember” relevant information about your preferences, habits or even where you’ve been and what you’ve done. Embrace “sticky information”.

The process should be a thread of events

Design themes should pervade the environment

Relevant information should be “inherited” as you move through the workflow.

Pre-populate forms with appropriate choices.

Contsistency

The behavior, terminology, color cues, layout conventions and design themes must be consistent:

among functional areas or sections

within the pages themselves (i.e. between menubars and content)

within logical areas (i.e.continuity within the content documents)

Provide perspective. Keep track of things. Maintain a safe environment

Design Attribute Checklist
Attractiveness	Are design attributes properly selected and applied? Is there an overall sense of style?
Integration	Do the parts work together gracefully? Are there lateral hyperlinks or cross-references among functional sections? Is there an overall sense of seamlessness?
Organization	Is the whole greater than the sum of its parts? Are the pieces properly placed? Is there an overall sense of structure?
Coherence	Are the workflow roles and tasks clear from the screen design? Are text descriptions adequate and understandable? Is there an overall sense of context?
Consistency	Do functions operate according to common rules? Are valid differences clarified? Do design elements conform with one another internally or across the software? Is there and overall sense of conformance to a standard?
Appropriateness	Do functions flow gracefully? Are there sensible shortcuts and defaults? Is there and overall sense of stickiness and the inheritence of relevant information?
Functionality	Are all important features supplied? Do critical functions operate consistently and completely? Is there an overall sense of utility?
Helpfulness	Does it automatically perform sensible actions? Are you reminded or informed of what needs to be done – or are you are required to do everything? Is there an overall sense of politeness?
Forthrightness	Is the workflow obvious in the interface? Is necessary information emphasized? Are error conditions announced? Is there an overall sense of clarity?
Personalization	Are default conditions and views customized to you as an individual? Is there “permissioning” (Access Control List) entitlements to help guide the work process? Is there an overall sense of boundaries and entitlements?